Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1887-02-10

/ known what to do. Poor mother !
Once, | remember, she said to me, ~
don't know but its more satisfactory to
have one daughter plain than anything
else" And it made my heart bound.
And then reproached myself for my
selfshness in caring to hear her say
that over Louie's head, as iG were ; but
l remember it long afterward, and
sometimes it used to give me a throb of
Joy wher everything was dreary and |
seemed to be alone In the world.
For mother died presently. And
then ii turned out that she had been
living on her little property more than
we had dreamed, and Louie's outfit and
her long illness and bills had used up
her money. And when everything was
paid, there was only enough left for me
to hire one room as sort Of refuge
when came home at night from work
ing at my trade, for bad quite knack
at dressmaking. | did not put on
mourning for l was glad that moth
er was out of pain, and | was glad that
she was gone before she knew that all
the property was gone, and she, with
her proud spirit, would have had TO be
dependent. But Louie did-and oh !!
what beauty she was, with her black
grapes falling around her, so waxy, fair
and rosy and transparent OF course
she didn't miss mother the way | did.
How could she, with Dennis waiting
Oil her every wish And she didn't
seem to want anybody hut Dennis,
either so | didn't see a great deal of
her, only when she had something new
to make up, or something old To alter
over and then she and Dennis were
out, most of the time, strolling along
the rocks or planting new flower gar
der, or she was going to meet him COM
ing from his work or running into the
next neighbours across the pasture. and
l had almost nothing of her, except at
trying-on times. And | will confess
that trying-on times were trying times,
and no wonder. For if you had such a
perfect little figure as Louie had, you
would want your dress to look as if you
had been melted and poured into it,
too. l used to wonder at Louie then,
a little sometime not for not sitting
at home sewing and helping me in the
work, because You might as we'll have
asked humming bird to do that but
FOR not -tuising more interest in the
HUuoU -----r-------------
And used to be afraid that if L were
Dennis, and there were holes in my
socks, and half the buttons OF my
clothes, and my coat and hat never
brushed, and came home and found
nothing for dinner not even the cloth
Iaid-and my wife off enjoying herself
somewhere else. and the dust every
where so that l could write my name,
that | shouldn't feel recompensed for
all that by having my wife stroll round
hanging on my arm, looking as pretty
as new blown rose. And yet, al
though the house must often have been
thoroughly uncomfortable to Dennis, he
never gave a sign that it was not Para
disc itself and | came to the conclu-
sion that he didn't really miss those
other things, and was satisfied with
what he had.
l used to 60 up in the Eden some
times, without being sent for, and
mend up everything, and put the whole
house straight but couldn't go SO
very often, on account of my work
and, besides, l had sensation Of in
truding where two people wanted but
each other.
But at last the babies came and
then | had to 60. And Louie was wild
with delight, and insisted on having
them laid on the pillow close to her
cheek, and talked and laughed and
cooed and cried to them with such gilt.
tering eyes and dazzling color in her
face. and said it was all she wanted,
even if she were in Heaven to morrow!
but your husband, Louie I" L ex-
claimed.
"Oh husbands are all very well. "
she said. ''But haven't been such an
awfulIy good wife. You'd have made
Dennis great deal better wife, dear,
for the matter of that. But my little
sons Oh ! know l could be good
mother -
She was in Heaven to. morrow, the
dear little innocent soul, and one of the
babies went with her.
was glad that the little baby went
too. For l remember that she hat
said then she would have all she want
ed because it troubled me to thinl
that, for all his grief to-day, Dennis
wouldn't be like any other man in th'
world. if he didn't marry tomorrow
and the other wife would haye the loni
) life with him, and become dearer AM
, dearer, and Louie would fade into JUS
beautiful dream and, when the mex
life came, it would be the dear wife o